Six months in Switzerland to study communication between partners in conflict situations

For the past six months, Freiburg has been home to Janire Ruiz, a pre-doctoral researcher at the group Infinity: Family, Love, and Sexuality at the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) at the University of Navarra. In this city in western Switzerland, just over 30 kilometers from Bern, she has been conducting research at the Institut de Recherche et de Conseil dans le Domaine de la Famille at the University of Fribourg, working with Professor Dominik Schoebi’s team. During this time, Ruiz has further developed the “ research ” of her doctoral thesis , which focuses on studying communication patterns among Spanish-speaking couples in conflict situations and identifying factors that promote marital satisfaction and stability.

The doctoral candidate emphasizes that the visit has had “a direct impact” on her research: “ group , in Freiburg, has a long history of using dyadic analysis, a methodology that is fundamental for addressing the questions of research in my project.” As a result of this partnership, they are finalizing a scientific article that will form part of her thesis . “In this article , we analyze how certain personality traits can influence the relationship, linking the way couples manage their conflicts and their satisfaction over time.”

The researcher also highlights the new opportunities her time in Switzerland has offered her: “These six months have allowed me to learn about other dynamics of research and different ways of understanding leadership and professional relationships.” In this regard, she notes that living in an international environment, where four languages are spoken (German, French, Italian, and Romansh), has helped her “broaden her perspective” and “reflect on how I understand the research process and what my identity as a researcher is, all without losing sight of the adaptability needed to work in other contexts.”

Culture and Nature

During this time, she has also participated in the meeting of the International Association for Relationship Research (IARR) in Glasgow, alongside his director from thesis , Alfonso Osorio, researcher principal at Infinity, and his colleague Gabriela García Zavala, a contributor to group. His team from research at the University of Fribourg also participated. “This congress marked the first in-person meeting between the two groups, strengthening our academic ties. In addition, I presented some of the results from my thesis and the project AMAR,” he explains.

Although she acknowledges that the stay has been a “test s of resilience at times” due to being far from her professional and family circles, it has also result a valuable opportunity to “get to know a truly special culture and way of life”: “It’s a country where life in nature predominates, thanks to its vast mountains and lakes, and where people place a high value on leisure time, which is why you sense a high quality of life. Many leisure activities focus on enjoying these places, so there’s a sense of tranquility and calm that’s hard to find elsewhere.”

In addition, the International Relations Office at the host university organizes sports, cultural, and language-learning activities and facilitates access to public transportation so students can explore different parts of the country and see how the changing seasons significantly transform the Swiss landscape. “They organize excursions and gatherings for doctoral students of different nationalities and fields of knowledge, creating a very enriching space for sharing both personal and academic experiences. “Sharing these months with colleagues from countries as diverse as Uruguay, India, and Italy has been one of the greatest gifts of this stay. It’s a life-changing experience that I will always remember,” says the researcher.